Sri Lankan veterans in retirement row

Colombo, Sri Lanka - Veterans Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara hit out on Tuesday at Sri Lanka Cricket administrators who criticized them for announcing their retirement from Twenty20 internationals to the media without discussing with the board first.

The former captains, who are both aged 36, revealed their plans to retire from the shortest form of international cricket just before start of the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh - a tournament they went on to win on Sunday.

At a news conference on their return, the players said they only responded to a media query - adding that they had simply said they were playing in their last World Twenty20 and hadn't mentioned retirement.

SLC Secretary Nishantha Ranatunga and Chief Executive Officer Ashley de Silva had criticized them without ascertaining the truth, the players said.